Best of the Best Lists

Middle School Biology Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school biology apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

CK-12– Helps students and teachers to improve elementary learning worldwide by making personal education tools available. Learn more than 5,000 math and science topics at a speed that suits you. Math topics include arithmetic, measurement, algebra, geometry, probability, statistics, trigonometry, analysis, and calculus. Science subjects include geography, life science, physical science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Other subjects include SAT exam prep, engineering, technology, astronomy, English, and history

The Human Body by Tinybop– The Human Body by Tinybop allows students to explore anatomy and biology through the lens of the human body. With a fully functioning circulatory, respiratory, and digestive system, students can explore the sounds of the heart, the gurgle of the guts, and more. In all, The Human Body by Tinybop covers eight bodily systems: muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, immune, and skin. Students can study interactive organ models, feed the body, watch sound vibrations travel through the ear canal, and learn new vocabulary with in-app text labels. The app also comes with a free handbook for teachers and parents full of discussion questions and additional facts.

Learn Genetics – Learn Genetics is a website designed to provide teachers with endless materials to teach about DNA. On this website, teachers can access multimedia pages written by scientists and researchers. The site includes content on topics such as genetics, evolution, metabolism, medicine, cell biology, neuroscience, and ecology. The interface is simple to use and easy to navigate.

Lifeliqe – This learning platform educates students with the use of 3-D models, augmented reality, and virtual reality. It includes subjects such as biology, culture, physics, paleontology, geometry, and so on. There are 620 preinstalled lesson plans for different subjects. The interface of this platform is quite easy to navigate. Lifeliqe is available as a website and app with its implementations on iPad and Windows, showing the most functionality.

Cogent Education – Cogent Education uses real-world problems or case studies to help students apply critical thinking skills and learn key concepts in the study of biology. Students work through simulations in the game to apply biological concepts and solve problems. Teachers can track student performance and help students improve.

myVRscope™– is an immersive microscopy Virtual Reality (VR) lab ecosystem, where students and faculty access microbiology content and conduct lab activities on-demand using VR. myVRscope™ leverages a virtual 3D photorealistic compound light microscope for learner activities and integrates the user experience with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab instructor- Dr. Beaker. The product was developed by the Immersive Learning Experience (ILX) team in the Innovation Center of Excellence (ICoE) at Adtalem Global Education- with the explicit design intent to create an ‘intelligent, immersive learning experience’ for on-campus and online learners alike that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Molecular Workbench – Molecular Workbench is divided into two parts, namely the website and desktop app. The site is filled with simulations, which can be used to illustrate topics that have already been introduced in class. The website content is continually being updated, but it mostly contains lessons on physics, chemistry, biology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.

Middle School Assistive Technology Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school assistive technology apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Natural Reader– This is a handy text-to-speech app that works in various formats, including PDF, Doc, and TXT files. As the name implies, you can choose your favorite natural voice type from over 50 choices available.

OCR Instantly Pro– Text-to-speech programs work fine with online material, but there is little in the form of books and worksheets. This app lets you take a photo from a hardcopy document and convert it into text format, that gets converted to speech. This app is available on the Android and iOS platforms. Optical character recognition (OCR) converts an image into a digitized text format that can be copied and pasted on other apps, including emails, IM apps, and SMS. 

ClaroCom ClaroCom is an iOS app for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It uses text as a proxy for speech for people who have speech production difficulties. It can be used by children learning to read and adults with difficulties reading. Text-to-speech conversion is also available.

ClaroView– This app allows you to modify the screen of your Mac device. The app works as an overlay for the Mac screen, so it works for every app open on the screen. The overlay color can be chosen from any point of the color spectrum; shade or tints can also be applied.

Claro MagX – This app functions as a magnifier on your iOS device. It was developed by low-vision technology experts to provide an inexpensive alternative to handheld video magnifier devices. It has no in-app purchases and ads.

Claro ScanPen – This is a text-to-speech app for iOS devices that works for scanned documents. Take photos, scan or select from your gallery, and use your hand to select the portion you want to be read to you. It does not require Internet access.

ClaroPDF Pro – This is an iOS app that lets you make notes and highlights on your PDF files. PDF files can be read back to you in human-like voices. You can also listen to PDF files in the background while you work on another app (useful for proofreading).

ClaroSpeakThis is a text-to-speech app that allows for high-quality output. It can be used to proofread texts using the voice feature. The integration feature also allows direct text-to-speech conversion from platforms such as Mail, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

News-O-Matic School Edition– This tool helps students stay up to date on the latest news, events, and politics. Teachers can ask students to read and write reports on news articles, which are available for different reading levels; Spanish translations are included. The app also has a text-to-speech feature that reads the news aloud in an understandable voice.

Articulate it! Assistive Technologies– A multiplayer app created to help children with their pronunciation. The app contains over 1,000 images selected by a top language pathologist to enhance phonology at the word and phrase levels. Articulate it! is available on various iOS devices, making it convenient for mobile language pathologists, teachers, or parents.

Articulation Games Assistive Technologies– This app includes four entertaining games with a dynamic way of teaching sound production. The games were assembled by professional speech pathologists, and they contain over 40 phenomes arranged in order of sound placement. The app comes with flashcards and professional sound recordings. Children get rewarded for making progress on the game.

Click N READ Phonics This app was developed under the expertise of nationally renowned Prof. Ron J. Nelson to teach kindergarteners through third graders phonics using over 100 animated online phonics lessons. It can also be used for older children with learning difficulties and people learning English as a second language.

Citelighter– Citelighter is an assistive research tool that lets you gather facts and materials and arrange them in an orderly fashion. It only takes three easy steps to use Citelighter in your research. Create an account, and download the plug-in, begin a project with the toolbar or website, and you are good to go. Citelighter is also handy while you scour the Internet for suitable or appropriate information.

LibroVox Audio Books– LibroVox Audio Books gives access to over 50,000 downloadable audiobooks. Audiobooks are the reading of the future. They create an easy way to consume knowledge while running, driving, working out, gardening, or doing anything while anywhere. It also allows you to have more space in your home. Instead of having stacks of books, magazines, and papers everywhere, they are all stored on your phone that you always carry with you anyway. This app also helps us save countless trees.

Learning Ally– Learning Ally contains hundreds of audiobooks for children and teenagers. With a monthly subscription, you will have unlimited access. This app is designed to appeal to dyslexic and disabled learners who often have difficulty reading conventional books. Learning Ally allows for easy adjusting of text and fonts to accommodate any child’s needs.

MindMeister– MindMeister is an app available for both Apple and Android devices. It is geared toward dyslexic students, who typically have a difficult time reading the board, listening to the teacher, and taking notes. Using MindMeister to make mind maps and collaboratively create digital notes, students can get creative, keep up, and learn much easier. This app is useful in any classroom or school scenario, as you can analyze papers, notes, projects, or whatever you need with mind maps and graphic organizers.

Middle School Assessment Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school assessment apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Bamboozle– Bamboozle is a free educational game that can be used to test cooperation and knowledge among students. Students do not need to create accounts or login to play. It can be projected onto a smartboard or a monitor. Students can also use this app to assess their performance levels by themselves.

Zoom In– Zoom In includes 18 interactive, document-based inquiry units for American History classes. It is Zoom In’s goal to ensure that teachers are challenging students with authentic, engaging texts; working with students to write explanatory and argumentative essays; teaching debate with claims and counterclaims, and ensuring students use evidence, including period documents, to back up their ideas. Zoom In provides teachers with assessment tools such as interactive rubrics to give personalized writing feedback to students.

aPlus+ Results – aPlus+ Results presents accurate and up-to-date student assessment results and related achievement information. The interface is designed to provide relevant information and functionality customized for teachers, students, and administrators. It keeps educators up to date with the latest results and helps them identify areas where students need further development along with possible strategies.

Naiku Platform Naiku Platform goes beyond traditional bubble sheet replacements for student assessments; students interactively communicate with the platform to completely digest the information that it passes. Every test becomes a lesson with the immediate feedback provided after each assessment session. This app features a confidence-based assessment, which lets students assign a score to the level of confidence they have in their answers. It also allows them to offer a valid reason for the response they provide. Student The reflection feature enables students to re-examine their choices after they receive their papers from their teachers; this helps them to internalize the results and the knowledge they have acquired.

Study Island – Study Island is an all-in-one practice website for students to work on literacy, math, science, and social studies skills. It is built specifically around state standards, so regardless of your school’s location, you can rest assured that the content and practice provided on the website will align with your classroom teaching. Study Island is a great tool to use for high stakes testing preparation and provides real-time progress monitoring for teachers and parents. Beyond simple practice, Study Island can also be incorporated into classroom lessons for formative assessment and differentiation. It even allows teachers to import NWEA MAP assessment information for individual students and calculates a targeted learning path to fill in knowledge gaps!

JoeZoo– JoeZoo is a grading and feedback app that helps teachers to make their feedback and grading to be more effective and hassle-free. It also guides students in developing 21st-century skills in all assignments without any hassle. JoeZoo is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered assessment app that was nominated for the 2015 Digital Innovation in Learning award.

EDaura – It is a mobile skill-based learning environment focused on improving learners’ skills through robust formative and summative assessments. EDaura allows educators to measure learning outcomes and abilities to help learners develop and improve throughout the course. It provides complete assignment management from the creation process to the correction and publishing final stage.

Spiral – With Spiral’s suite of free educational apps, teachers can transform their classroom into an interactive learning space. Apps can be used by the teacher to give quick formative assessments, help compile student portfolios, facilitate group projects, and turn any video into a live chat with discussion questions. Students simply need to have a device (smartphone, tablet, computer), and Spiral takes care of the rest, linking the devices and pushing out the teacher-designed content. Teachers can load pre-designed content or ask questions on the fly—Spiral can adapt to any teaching style. There is even a grade book section that teachers can use to document summative assessments, record student notes, and export to share with parents. Spiral can be applied across grade levels and with any subject.

Edgenuity’s UpSmart – Combining adaptive assessments with targeted instruction grounded in rigorous academic standards, UpSmart gives every student the specific instruction, practice, and support needed to master standards; and every teacher an opportunity to extend classroom instruction to meet the individual needs of each student, without adding time to their busy days. UpSmart is a student-centered, supplemental program for grades 6-8 in math and English language arts designed to prepare students for high-stakes tests, reinforce state standards with personalized and adaptive practice, assessments, and instruction, and provide ongoing data and analytics for educators, with standards-based reports that pinpoint specific skills.

Lexia PowerUp Literacy– Lexia® PowerUp Literacy™ is made for middle school students to help them master their reading skills. Working with typical reading lessons, teachers can use this app to fill in learning gaps, allowing students to practice skills such as comprehension, analyzation, evaluation, and comparison. It allows for online and offline activity, to be available for all students’ learning needs and activity levels. This can be used in combination with Lexia® Core5® Reading and Lexia® RAPID™ Assessment to optimize reading experiences and reading groups in schools.

Middle School Art Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school art apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Boulevard-Art classes are more immersive thanks to the VR experience provided by this program. Students can visit six art museums and experience famous artworks via virtual, augmented, or mixed reality. Boulevard is redefining an era and reshaping the art and culture narrative to the outside world.

Grafio 3 – Diagram Maker – Grafio 3 is an iOS app that is used in creating graphs, vector charts, diagrams, infographics, storyboards, and any other type of diagram. It is as simple as drawing shapes with your finger. The app’s artificial intelligence helps to straighten out edges and adjust the shape. Other types of editing can also be carried out on any diagram drawn.

Intro to Colors– The world of colors comes alive with “Intro to colors.” It’s a dynamic and interactive app that lets children appreciate and learn colors in various ways. Your child will learn both primary and secondary colors, the foundation of colors, color shades, identifying and mixing of colors as well as painting and creation of colors in a fun and exciting way.

Peep and the Big Wide World– Get ready to paint on this paint splat game featuring Quack, a likable, funny duck, and his friend, Chirp, who is a brave robin bird. Children play the game by making Quack jump and paint tubes to create color collages on the wall. The app teaches children to identify colors and get creative with mixing colors. Once you have formed the simpler secondary colors (green, purple, orange, etc.), you progress to harder tertiary colors. Quack jumps on the paint tube when you touch it, splashing blobs of yellow, blue, and red paint on the wall. Touching the water hose rinses the paint off the wall, so you can start over when you want. PrimaryPad idea for schools to keep things fun, simple, fast, and easy-to-use. PrimaryPad integrates with other tools such as Wordle, PrimaryWall, and PrimaryPaint.

The Pyramids– For students studying ancient civilizations or just those fascinated by Egypt, The Pyramids provides a way to explore the tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt in 3-D. As students walk through passageways or fly over the Sphinx, they can touch any object or painting to learn more about it, including information on who created it, what it is thought to represent, and how it fits into the culture of ancient Egypt. Students can zoom in on paintings to examine them more closely and select objects to view from all angles by rotating them. There is also an accompanying interactive book full of additional information for curious students.

Museums of the World– Museums of the World gives free access and availability to thousands of museums all around the globe. Whether you love art, culture, science, or travel, you can virtually travel anywhere in the world and gain knowledge. You can find events, exhibits, and shows based on GPS locations. There are also detailed presentations and galleries to give you all the information you need to get around and learn as much as possible

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website includes information on visiting, current exhibitions, upcoming events, and information about the art contained in the museum. It also includes some pages with infographics and articles about the history of art, lesson plans to assist teachers with integrating works of art into their classroom, and other curriculum resources such as suggested book lists. For teachers planning a field trip to the museum, there are also lots of resources on how to do so and ideas of things to pre-teach to ensure students have the most valuable visit possible.

School Counseling Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for school counseling apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Cialfo – This is a guidance platform that counselors and independent education consultants can use to manage and collaborate with their students to better equip these children for college. It has an extensive database of schools from around the world, which teachers can access and recommendation letters on behalf of their students during application season. Cialfo is accessible on the web, Android, iOS, and the WeChat App.

Emotional ABCs – Is an app that teaches socio-emotional skills to young children. Currently being used by more than 20,000 teachers and school counselors nationwide. The curriculum of video clips, group, and independent games and activities makes learning social-emotional skills fun while helping model positive behaviors, which can aid with obstacles ranging from anxiety or frustration to acting out and impulse control.

My School Therapy – This platform offers electronic documentation services for school therapists. My School Therapy integrates into the workflow and eliminates redundancies. It also helps to simplify scheduling and reduce paperwork.

Smiling Mind – Developed by educators and psychologists, Smiling Mind is a mindfulness meditation program. It has both a web and app-based interface dedicated to helping people deal with the pressure and stress of everyday life. There are a variety of tailored programs for different age groups and challenges, including sports, mindfulness in the classroom, 7-9-year-olds, 10-12 year olds, 13-15 year olds, and 16-18 year olds. Smiling Mind’s app allows you to track progress and offers a variety of different meditation lengths to meet your students’ individual needs.

Social Adventures – Social Adventures is a self-contained resource to teach social skills and friendship. Developed for children between the ages of 3 and 13 years old, it can be used to teach students how to initiate interactions, maintain interactions, negotiate, advocate, interpret non-verbal communication, negotiate personal space, and experience humor. The app includes over 80 activities that can be used in the classroom, on playdates, or at home. Each section has detailed parent tips to assist with understanding how to help children apply the skills they are learning. And if you’re not sure where to start, Social Adventures has a sample eight-week beginner program to get you off on the right foot.

Quandary– Welcome to the world of Planet Braxos, a science fiction, narrative-driven game for mobile devices. Users play as the captain of the new human settlement on planet Braxos, shaping the direction of modern civilization and developing ethical reasoning skills. This educational game involves many diverse characters with differing perspectives designed to make the game challenging and enlightening. Users learn to solve conflicts by exploring different facts, options, and opinions as a means of solving the colony’s problems. Quantary is designed for kids age 8 to 16 years old; however, it is a game that can be played by anyone.

Student Tracking System – This software program tracks bullying, bad behavior, good character, and sends alerts directly to educators and school administrators. This software was integrated with character education exercises that promote kindness, communication, cooperation, and friendship and include lessons and activities stressing empathy and conflict resolution skills for all students.

Impero Education Pro V7– Impero Education Pro has online safety features and software that detect the kinds of words students are typing or searching. Impero Software has a partnership with advocacy organizations to come up with a list of keywords associated with issues such as self-harm, cyberbullying, sexting, radicalization, mental problems, and more to alert instructors and administrators when these keywords are detected.

CatapultEMS            – Develop an emergency response plan that is clear, centralized, and always informed with real-time student accounting. It offers essential features such as instant emergency alerts and communication, open communication channels between teachers and administrators, anonymous threat and bully reporting, and much more.

Calm Myself Down– This is an iOS app that trains autistic children to control their emotional responses to challenges and situations. Developed by an ABA consultant, it uses Applied Behavior Analysis techniques to help children manage tasks in smaller parts with rewards for a proper response. Children choose activities that help them relax; making these choices helps them to maintain control when the situation arises.

Classroom Traffic Lights– Classroom Traffic Lights lets teachers assess students’ emotional responses to new development without face-to-face confrontation. You simply ask the class to choose an appropriate response and show their screen. The teacher can immediately grade emotional responses and make changes where appropriate. This app can be used in a variety of classroom situations; it all comes down to your creativity.

Emotional ABCs -Is an app that teaches socio-emotional skills to young children. Currently being used by more than 20,000 teachers and school counselors nationwide. The curriculum of video clips, group, and independent games and activities makes learning social-emotional skills fun while helping model positive behaviors, which can aid with obstacles ranging from anxiety or frustration to acting out and impulse control.

Peppy Pals – Follow the adventures of four brave animal buddies and learn about emotions and friendship. This app helps children improve their emotional intelligence abilities. Download the app and join Sammy the horse, Eggy the dog, Izzy the owl, and Gabby the rabbit on an emotional rollercoaster ride in a colorful, exciting universe. Help them navigate through familiar experiences, play with them, or enjoy other mini games.

Playful Learning– Playful Learning uses unforgettable lessons to help parents and teachers form habits of heart and mind. The lessons are specially designed by educational experts to meet children’s academic, social, and emotional needs. It based on the fact that children have an innate desire to ask questions and impact the world around them positively. Children are blank pages, defined by their experiences, and under the right circumstances, they take full advantage of the learning opportunities they encounter. Playful Learning provides the right circumstances and learning opportunities.

The Emotion Diary – Based on the principles of positive psychology, this app helps students record and track their emotions over time. It can also be useful for managing conditions or disorders for parents and teachers as a tool to begin discussions with students who need support or are going through a difficult time or for self-analysis. There are four add-on features to enhance The Emotion Diary: Therapist Feature, Emotional Dimensions Feature, Positives Feature, and Group Feature. Therapist Feature will assist students working with a therapist to email their diary entries, filter and sort their diary, and add additional notes. Emotional Dimensions Feature will allow students to add and remove emotional dimensions and switch on dimension labels and information. The Positives Feature lets students record acts of kindness, things they are grateful for, and signature strengths. The Group Feature allows therapists or teachers to track emotions by student or client, load clients’ emotional diaries, and sort by client or category.

The Great Behavior Game – A website-based classroom management game, The Great Behavior Game allows teachers to monitor student behavior during lessons by awarding points or placing students into timeout status with a single click. Designed for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade, teachers start the game each morning, and it runs throughout the school day with students earning points and stars for positive behavior and being put in time out or a freeze when their behavior requires a consequence. While in time out or a freeze, students cannot earn points or stars. When removed from time out or freeze status, their points are reset at zero. The Behavior Game keeps track of student scores and provides reports to help teachers troubleshoot student behavior and communicate more effectively with parents and other teachers about both positive and negative student behavior.

Sesame Street– Sesame Street is developed to assist children in growing smarter, stronger, and kinder. It achieves this by pooling together a curriculum that addresses kids’ critical developmental needs with the elaborate use of media and fun. Sesame Street facilitates learning with real, measurable results, a fact borne out by numerous studies and nurtured through our research-intensive process. Far beyond ABCs and 123s, programs provide valuable lessons about health, emotional well-being, respect, and understanding to assist children in growing up healthy, happy, and at home in their world.

Middle School Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Math Snacks– With many unique activities, animations, games, and tools, Math Snacks will help teach numbers, ratios, proportions, factoring, and pre-algebra. This is the perfect addition to elementary or middle school classrooms, to add extra fun in learning. It has been created with Common Core Standards and Mathematical Practices in mind to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom while also preparing children for tests.

Edulastic– Teachers can use this platform to assess and monitor student performance. Teachers can set up their classes and create assignments to evaluate their students. Tasks can be assigned using materials from the site or by creating tests to assess learning. Edulastic is a simple way to manage a class with online resources.

Loom – Loom is a screencasting tool, which can be used to record content from Google Chrome. It can be used to record video, audio, browser windows, or the entire screen. Once installed, users get access to all its features. Any recorded content can be shared via a link, and it can be saved to your account for later use.

The Mood Meter– This app is designed to analyze, track, and monitor mood. Users plot their moods on a color-coded chart, which has words to describe the feelings of the user. After deciding on your mood, the app tries to help you focus on strategies that may help lighten the atmosphere. Strategies include resources, which previous users have found useful for making similar moods better.

Typing Pal – This program is used to provide typing lessons for students. In Typing Pal, the emphasis is on accuracy, not speed. Three learning environments are provided for the students, and each one features different visuals and text. The program uses a classic setting that is applicable to typists of all ages.

TypingClub –  This website is designed to teach people how to type using the touch-typing method. The website and lessons are free. TypingClub teaches kids the parts of the keyboard, finger placement, and other skills needed to become proficient. The app also offers interesting games for kids to do between lessons.

ThingLink– ThingLink is a tool used to embed multimedia content in videos and photos. To use this tool, teachers, and students upload videos and photos and link to resources on the Internet. These links may lead to web content, video recordings, photos, and instructional materials. The educational version of ThingLink allows teachers to add students into online classes.

Pearl Diver– With this app, you explore famous shipwrecks and submerged ruins for pearls, and you might find the highly sought black pearl. However, always look out for the pesky electric eel. It is suitable for children in grades three through eight (upper elementary and middle school students). It covers the Common Core Standards relevant to the number line and number properties. Pearl Diver was designed by math tutors, researchers, and game developers at the Learning Games Lab, New Mexico State University.

ST Math – If your school or district is moving away from standard math memorization and drills, ST Math is a resource that can help students explore and build a conceptual understanding of how math works. Students build problem-solving skills by working at their own pace through over 200 visually stimulating games. ST Math always begins by teaching concepts visually, then connects those visuals to symbols and language. This method ensures that all students, regardless of language ability or skill level, can access important new concepts. ST Math is standards-based and has content available for students in Pre-K through middle school. There is also a special section just for homeschooled students.

Stack the Countries– A valuable addition to social studies, geography, and world history classes, Stack the Countries is a stacking and collecting game that teaches students about capitals, landmarks, major cities, and more. For each successfully completed level, students earn a random country to add to their world map with the goal of collecting all 193. With more than 1,000 questions and 193 fact cards, Stack the Countries is a wealth of information. Students have the option to play with the entire world or selected continents depending on prior knowledge or as required by the assignment. Stack the Countries also comes with two bonus games: MapIt! and Pile Up!

Vocab Ahead– Vocab Ahead is available as a website or an app. It is designed to help students in middle school and up to develop their vocabulary using vocabulary videos and flashcards. Each vocabulary word is linked to a picture and a specific definition. Vocab Ahead also has specific categories for SAT words, GRE words, and more.

Math Snacks– With many unique activities, animations, games, and tools, Math Snacks will help teach numbers, ratios, proportions, factoring, and pre-algebra. This is the perfect addition to elementary or middle school classrooms, to add extra fun in learning. It has been created with Common Core Standards and Mathematical Practices in mind to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom while also preparing children for tests.

ST Math – If your school or district is moving away from standard math memorization and drills, ST Math is a resource that can help students explore and build a conceptual understanding of how math works. Students build problem-solving skills by working at their own pace through over 200 visually stimulating games. ST Math always begins by teaching concepts visually, then connects those visuals to symbols and language. This method ensures that all students, regardless of language ability or skill level, can access important new concepts. ST Math is standards-based and has content available for students in Pre-K through middle school. There is also a special section just for homeschooled students.

Hooda Math– This is a free online math game site created by a middle school math teacher. It offers more than 700 cool math games, which come with various challenges in the form of different puzzles and arithmetic problems. The games on this site are built to satisfy the idea of a teacher-approved games page requested a long time ago.

iPractice Math– IPracticeMath aims to offer a better education to everyone. Presently, our topics range from elementary school math to middle school math, and high school math will be introduced soon.

Pearl Diver– With this app, you explore famous shipwrecks and submerged ruins for pearls, and you might find the highly sought black pearl. However, always look out for the pesky electric eel. It is suitable for children in grades three through eight (upper elementary and middle school students). It covers the Common Core Standards relevant to the number line and number properties. Pearl Diver was designed by math tutors, researchers, and game developers at the Learning Games Lab, New Mexico State University.

Cell and Cell Structure Flashcards– This app presents the basic unit of life to middle school students, using detailed, stunning images 2-D and 3-D images. It is useful as a revision tool for high school students; teachers can use it as a great explanation tool.

Amazing Alex– Amazing Alex is a boy wonder that uses his endless stream of toys to solve problems creatively. In this app, Alex comes to test you and your ability to solve situations using your creativity. Amazing Alex lets you set objects to bounce, pop, ricochet, and create chain reactions as you create an elegant Rube Goldberg device. There are 100 challenges available, and other users continue to create new levels.

Cell Command– This fun app was designed to teach cell and cell functions to all students.

Legends of Learning– Legends of Learning has over 500 games about earth science, astronomy, life science, and physical science. With over 300 game developers and collaboration with Vanderbilt University, this is the hub for educational science games for middle school children. Many children get bored with cookie-cutter classes, especially when they have fun video games waiting for them at home. Bringing video games into education can help children learn because they can have fun while doing so. Academic ability, performance, and engagement have been increased by playing games such as these.

Mosa Mack– Mosa Mack allows elementary and middle school children to experiment with science without having to deal with the mess-ups and messes. There are tiered lessons that have animated puzzles, mysteries, and questions. Let your students into the lab without needing any experience and still let them learn effectively with this program.

Vernier Go Direct® Sensors with Graphical Analysis™ 4 – Go Direct® sensors collect real-time data from science experiments and lab work and connect directly to student computers or mobile devices. Each of the 40+ types of sensors offered by Vernier are all-in-one style sensors that come with software. Vernier also produces textbooks, with experiments designed to complement their sensors for Chemistry, Physical Science, and middle school science. All purchases include the free app Graphical Analysis 4, which helps students create real-time graphs of their experimental data.

The Human Body by Tinybop The Human Body by Tinybop allows students to explore ly see the name. This mode is particularly useful when trying to learn a new region.

Amazing Space Journey– Amazing Space Journey lets you explore the solar system, other planets, and all their satellites in detail. The Interactive Learning feature makes it a fun and memorable experience for people of all ages. The 3-D Augmented Reality feature lets you lose yourself in the experience of the solar system from your home, office, or on a local flight. 

Bio Digital Human Explore the human body in 3-D using the BioDigital Human platform. Choose from thousands of immersive images to build your personal library. Responsive tools, along with detailed medical explanations, provide a fresh visual perspective for understanding the human body. This platform makes the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and management of medical conditions accessible and available.

BioInteractive– Biological research is coming to life at the BioInteractivewebsite, which includes apps, animations, videos, and virtual labs. Contents range from short videos on evolution hosted by award-winning authors to lessons about the brain delivered by Nobel prize-winning scientists. The team behind the scene features a fine mix of educators, artists, and scientists.

Study Island– Study Island is an all-in-one practice website for students to work on literacy, math, science, and social studies skills. It is built specifically around state standards, so regardless of your school’s location, you can rest assured that the content and practice provided on the website will align with your classroom teaching. Study Island is a great tool to use for high stakes testing preparation and provides real-time progress monitoring for teachers and parents. Beyond simple practice, Study Island can also be incorporated into classroom lessons for formative assessment and differentiation. It even allows teachers to import NWEA MAPassessment information for individual students and calculates a targeted learning path to fill in knowledge gaps!

Middle School Algebra Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for middle school algebra apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Math Snacks– With many unique activities, animations, games, and tools, Math Snacks will help teach numbers, ratios, proportions, factoring, and pre-algebra. This is the perfect addition to elementary or middle school classrooms, to add extra fun in learning. It has been created with Common Core Standards and Mathematical Practices in mind to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom while also preparing children for tests.

Algebrator Algebrator is one of the leading math tutoring apps available. Using Algebrator’s step-by-step explanations of the answers to even the most difficult math problems, students can learn to solve homework problems in a way that is easy to understand. Algebrator can be used by parents, adult learners, and homeschoolers to improving their math skills.

Mangahigh – This is a web-based platform that features a variety of math games and tutorials. It teaches students useful mathematical concepts from counting to algebra. To foster healthy competition, students earn medals, badges, and rewards for their hard work.

CK-12– Helps students and teachers to improve elementary learning worldwide by making personal education tools available. Learn more than 5,000 math and science topics at a speed that suits you. Math topics include arithmetic, measurement, algebra, geometry, probability, statistics, trigonometry, analysis, and calculus. Science subjects include geography, life science, physical science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Other subjects include SAT exam prep, engineering, technology, astronomy, English, and history.

Graspable Math – This is a browser-based platform designed to move solving algebra equations away from pen and paper. It uses a few easy-to-learn gestures, together with its simple interface, to teach math to kids. Graspable Math seems to work best on the Chrome browser and can be used without signing into an account though it requires a Google login to save, load, and collaborate with peers and teachers.

DigitWhiz– This app helps kids from ages eight upward learn basic math and pre-algebra skills. It uses games to teach kids multiplication, division, and integer operation. Kids earn points as they play the game. It also has a multiplayer option where kids can play with other kids from all over the world.

Knowre– This is an interactive math learning app, which includes lessons on pre-algebra, algebra 1, and algebra 2. Some lessons are designed with comical introductions to improve the fun experience for the kids. There are also instructional videos and opportunities for kids to practice their skills. As kids progress, they earn a coin for correct answers; these coins can be used to unlock more lessons.

DimensionU DimensionU motivates kids to learn pre-algebra via fun, educational, and rewarding video games. It helps kids master basic skills that will make them good pre-algebra students. DimensionU may give kids examples that seem too advanced for their grade, all to help them to master pre-algebra math.

Elevated Math– This app provides basic lessons on math topics ranging from place value to large number addition and algebra I. It covers about two years of math learning and works on iPads and iPhones. It comes free with two lectures and a video about career choices; additional lessons are available for purchase. This app does not support commercial uses.

First In Math– The First In Math (FIM) online program offers comprehensive content in an engaging format, ranging from single-step addition to complex algebra. The game-style activities ensure that students engage in active practice needed for skill retention; they are motivated using electronic award stickers when they solve questions correctly.

GeoGebra– GeoGebra comes with an easy-to-use interface and many features that help you create, modify, and share math simulations and models. It comes with multiple platforms and dynamic math software that brings together tables, graphing, geometry, algebra, calculus, and statistics in a free easy-to-use package. The app also comes with free and open source software; it has received many educational software awards in the US and Europe.

Microlearning Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for microlearning apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

EdApp Microlearning –  This is a mobile LMS with a template library, push notifications and analytics designed for microlearning. EdApp has an integrated authoring tool, spaced repetition, and gamification features. This courseware is designed for iOS, Android, and the web. It incentivizes learning using intrinsic rewards and integrated, real-world pricing.

OttoLearn Microlearning – This app delivers mobile-friendly training that allows for easy tracking of performance and achievements. OttoLearn Microlearning features adaptive training, which allows each user to set the parameters for subsequent training to match the student’s performance. It provides users with engaging daily activities to sharpen their skills.

SmartUp – SmartUp is a learning experience and consultancy platform, helping organizations create a highly engaged learning culture. This system creates bespoke videos, infographics, and animations to engage your learners actively. It also converts your existing training materials (PDFs, PowerPoint, videos, documents, textbooks, etc.) into microlearning modules. It curates’ contents from an extensive list of partners on an ongoing basis.

Metacognitive Skill Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

Are you looking for metacognitive skill apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

7 Speed Reading– This app can help you become a proficient reader in the English language while eliminating old habits that hold you back. With 7 Speed Reading, students can learn to recognize large clusters of words and read without first vocalizing in their heads

Amazing Match-Word Learning Games for Kids– Amazing Match blends entertainment and education; it teaches children to spell and pronounce words by developing their concentration levels, cognitive skills, and memory. Amazing Matchis designed for children to play alone or taking turns with other children. 

Fast ForWord– Fast ForWord is an evidence-based app developed by neuroscientists to help teachers differentiate instruction for students with language and reading difficulty. It uses a unique three-part model to do this and provides students with deliberate practice, cognitive skills, and foundational language as well as the guided reading support needed for them to improve during and after the program. This tool is an excellent solution for clinical support intervention, at-home intervention, and K-12 intervention.

Learning Apps for 8-year olds

Are you looking for learning apps, tools, and resources that you can use with 8-year olds? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

Busy Water– Help your child develop to his full potential with some “outside the tank thinking.” The objective is to get Archie the fish back to his tank using pipes, sprays, paddle wheels, and blocks. Each level provides fresh challenges, and there is more than one solution to the puzzle, so that there are no limits to your child’s creativity. Suited for children between the ages of 6 and 10 years old.

ConversationBuilder – This app helps children open and maintain a conversation train with their peers. ConversationBuilder is especially useful for children on the Autism spectrum. The app contains seven conversation modules with over 100 in-app scripts on different topics and social settings. The group option allows children to practice face-to-face with their peers. They record themselves using the most appropriate conversation starter or response for a social gathering, and a character responds.

The Robot Factory by Tinybop – The Robot Factory game gives kids the freedom to create, from their in-game name to the perfect robot. Players can record their voices, which is tuned to a higher pitch and edited with a robotic tone. They deploy their robots in the game world and see their performance. Some robots do better in certain situations than others, so players can change parts at any time to fit the task at hand.

Tic Toc Time– Using Tic Toc Time, students learn how to read a clock face by relating it to things they are already familiar with, such as the sun, shadows, night, and day. Developed for children aged 3-8, Tic Toc Time meets the Common Core State Standards for mathematics, including time telling for grades 1-3. 

Math Evolve– Math Evolve is specially designed for children age six and up to experience both story and practice modes to learn math basics. This app features addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more. Math Evolve incorporates math facts and mental math challenges in a game that is entertaining 

Math Fight– Math Fight is a duel between two math whizzes, featuring split- screen capabilities. It is aimed at children age seven and up. The app features basic math questions that help students with speed, mental math, reflexes, and concentration. Higher level math challenges for teenagers are also available for free. 

Doodle Fit – This is an immersive geometric puzzle game. As part of its features, kids can decide between sketchpad or chalkboard graphics schemes. The goal is to fit four geometric shapes into another shape without spaces or overlaps. Doodle Fit is an innovative way to teach children about shapes while having fun.

DragonBox Big Numbers – DragonBox Big Numbers is designed to develop young children’s addition and subtraction skills by testing them with large numbers. It is intended to be a game in which kids are in control of building a world for the creatures known as Nooms. It offers hours of play in which the child progressively learns while having fun at the same time.

MathBrix– MathBrix is aimed at children ages four through eight and will provide hours of fun. It will teach important topics in math and give children the know-how to tackle challenging problems in new ways. After they get control of the basics, MathBrix will present more abstract and complex topics to continue challenging their minds and help them think mathematically. 

GameStar Mechanic– GameStar Mechanic, which was created for seven- to fourteen-year-olds, can be used by anyone. It is a community and a game developed to introduce principles of game design and systems in a highly interactive environment. The features included in this app makes it easier for kids to play it alone or with their parents.

Hands-On Equations-  Hands-On Equations 1 is the algebra app for 8-year-old kids. Learning algebra can be tricky, but Hands-On Equations 1 makes it fun and interesting for your kids. The app helps to clarify difficult algebraic concepts by putting the iPad’s and iPhone’s visual and touch features into good use.

Homer– If you’re looking for an interactive and interesting way to spark your child’s passion for reading, HOMER Reading is the answer. The app comes with thousands of lessons on sight words, ABCs, phonics, and many more to help your child build essential skills with a customized learn-to-read plan. Children love learning to read when they read what they live. It’s designed for 2- to 8-year-old kids. 

iTalk2Learn– iTalk2Learn is a math tutoring app that uses cutting-edge technology to ensure that students learn more naturally. This app is the result of a three-year collaborative European project to create an open-source intelligent tutoring platform that reinforces math learning for 5- to 11-year-old students. This will enable educators to deliver the correct lesson at the right time. 

Moose Math– Designed for any three- to eight-year-old, Moose Math takes your child on a math adventure where they will have fun and learn. There are five activities in various locations around town. Hit up the Moose Juice Store to practice addition and subtraction, Puck’s Pet Shop to learn sorting, or the Lost & Found to get a better hang of geometry. The Dust Funnies and Duck Duck Moose characters in this app will help your child master math and crush Common Core Standards. There is even an option for parents or educators to receive a report card to track children’s progress. 

My PlayHome My PlayHome is the phone version of the classic toy, the dollhouse. Real life dollhouses are very limited with activities for the dolls (i.e., they can sit, walk around, sleep). However, My PlayHome allows children to have the dolls cook, drink, eat, travel, move things around, and even edit rooms with whatever they want. This app is simple enough that a baby can understand it but complex enough that an eight-year-old will enjoy it. This is the perfect application for any young child who loves to make believe and doesn’t want the limitations and restrictions of real-life toys when there is an entire world of fun and endless imagination.

Smiling Mind– Developed by educators and psychologists, Smiling Mind is a mindfulness meditation program. It has both a web and app-based interface dedicated to helping people deal with the pressure and stress of everyday life. There are a variety of tailored programs for different age groups and challenges, including sports, mindfulness in the classroom, 7-9 year olds, 10-12 year olds, 13-15 year olds, and 16-18 year olds. Smiling Mind’s app allows you to track progress and offers a variety of different meditation lengths to meet your students’ individual needs.

FunBrain– FunBrain comes with hundreds of free interactive books, videos, games, and printed material that help kids from Pre-K to 8 years old develop and master math, literacy, problem-solving, and reading skills. Vital skills and subject areas such as fractions, addition, shapes, and vowel sounds are included in each book, game, and video to give parents and educators a sense of confidence in the learning process.

Pili Pop English– Pili Pop English is geared toward children five to ten years old. It allows them to practice English verbally, learn new skills, learn new words, and learn pronunciation. Whether used for the native English speaker or bilingual child, Pili Pop will lead your child toward language fluency. You can begin with a free trial and then choose to pay monthly for full and continued access. Pili Pop is also available for Spanish language learners. 

Quandary– Welcome to the world of Planet Braxos, a science fiction, narrative-driven game for mobile devices. Users play as the captain of the new human settlement on planet Braxos, shaping the direction of modern civilization and developing ethical reasoning skills. This educational game involves many diverse characters with differing perspectives designed to make the game challenging and enlightening. Users learn to solve conflicts by exploring different facts, options, and opinions as a means of solving the colony’s problems. Quantary is designed for kids age 8 to 16 years old; however, it is a game that can be played by anyone.

Reading Kingdom– The Reading Kingdom is an online program that teaches children between the ages of four and ten years old to read and write to a third-grade standard. This reading program makes available six new skill models of reading methods that use elements of phonics and whole language to teach skills that make reading and writing easy and successful. The app was built to circumvent the problems of phonics and whole language. 

Reading Rainbow– Reading Rainbow is a way to provide your child with an extensive collection of books—up to 10 million books and video field trips for children. This app has an extensive library of books that would engage kids for a long time and awaken their imagination. The recommended age for children to use this app is three through nine years old; the book collections include fiction and nonfiction, as well as videos of field trips hosted by LeVar Burton. 

Kodable Kodable teaches coding to kids from ages 4 through 10; it is the only complete coding program on the market. This app can be used for an individual student or for a whole school district. Kodable encourages problem-solving and critical-thinking skills while informing children of algorithms, syntax, variables, and more. These are all crucial skills that coders must acquire to succeed in computer programming. With the assistance of the app’s fuzzFamily avatars, children can learn computer science with friends.

Math Party Lite– Math Party Lite allows for math practice for the whole family or a party of friends. Using a split screen, children ages five and up can challenge their parents to math games. Each person can choose their math ability and engage in friendly competition, which increases their math learning. The basic version is free; an upgraded version is available for purchase.

Co-ordinates This app incorporates practical tasks with the teacher’s participation and can be used for children between ages 5 and 14. It introduces five key areas that are needed to read maps; these skills are intended to acquaint students with the prerequisites for map reading. The app also serves as an introduction to linear equations.

Jump! A Game of Numbers–  Jump! A Game of Numbers is an interesting game of simple addition for ages 6 and above. Your kids will learn to count by 2s, 3s, 4s . . . 12s. Move from one number to another by following a sequence while saving snortles and collecting beach balls as you move. Squish numbers together to get the next number as you move. 

Maths with Springbird HD– Maths with Springbird is made for children aged four through eight and is available for use on iPads. By freeing little bird friends, children learn to master their math skills as well as subtraction, coin counting, shapes, number sets, and patterns. This app is available internationally and includes currencies from seven countries.

Word Wizard for Kids– For children aged 4-10, Word Wizard for Kids includes a moveable talking alphabet and three spelling activities. The moveable alphabet allows children to experiment with phonics and word building. It includes four font sizes, uppercase and lowercase letters, natural sounding pronunciation (three American voices, one British voice, and one Australian voice are included), and spell-check. Word Practice, Scrambled Letters, and Spelling Quizzes are the three included spelling activities. Word Practice says and displays the word to spell and asks the child to use the moveable alphabet to spell it. Scrambled Letters says the word and displays the letters needed to build it, then asks the child to unscramble the letters. Spelling Quizzes is a standard spelling test. The app comes with 184 word lists and allows teachers and parents to create their own.